Sprocket chain



Dec. 4, 1928.

J. c. MERwlN SPROCKET CHAIN Filed March 19, 1925 2 shuts-sheet i J, i v`mmrozl- 1 fff v I allg-:lng

J. c. MERWIN SPROCKET CHAIN Filed March 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2'atfoznm Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

UNITED 'rarasl 'i 1,694,275 PATNT OFFICE..

JOHN CLIFFORD MERWIN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO CHAIN BELTCOMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

SPROCKET CHIN.

Application led March 19, 1925. Serial No. 16,736.

My invention relates to sprocket chains,

particularly lto chains of that character whichk are intended foiheavyduty, are constructed. of steel, have separate side bars,

and in which the links are united one to the other by pintles.- Theinvention consists of means for securely holding in place under workingconditions, the separable connecting pintles.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 isl a side view of a section of asprocket chain to which one form of my invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the section of chain shown in Figi.'

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig'.1.

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of one of the locking washersshown in Fig. 1 as manufactured fory use in connection with a chain suchas shown.

' Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a section of chain. illustrating anotherform of vmy vinvent-ion.

j Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of Fig.4.

Fig. 7 .is a vertical sectional view taken on theline VII- VII of Fig.4.

Fig. 8 is a sideview of a third form of my invention.

. Fig. 9 is a side elevation illustrating a fourth form of my invention.

Fig.- 10 is a plan view of parts shown in F ig. 9.

' In the manufacture of heavy duty steel' chain such =as represented .inthe drawings it is generally-l recognized that the bestiesults, so faras service is concerned, are obtained Awhen .the connecting pintles are.

riveted or headed at both ends, as'suehl-pintles cannot slip' in theirseats, and they operate to maintain the side bars in position,

preventing them from spreading, through- -out the entire life 'of thechain. Bower/er, there are so many disadvantages incident to the `useofthe riveted pintles, such as the diiculties encountered when itvbecomes lnecessary to replace a broken link, or make other repairs tothechain, that many users insist uponchains with easily separablepintles; and lit is common practice to hold the separable Tpintles invplace by the use of cotter pins.v lyvsatisfactory because 'they wear,become loose or broken, and frequently fall/out, due

hese, however, are 'not entire ltothe heavy service to which theyaresub` jected in the use of the chain. Further, the cotter pins donot givesufficient support to the side bars ofthe chain to hold them in'permitting 'them to spread, thus lessening the rigidity ofthe chain. Itis to secure in one structure the advantages incident to both theriveted chain and tothe pin-held separable pintle chain that .myinvention has been made.

In the accompanying drawings 2 are the separable side bars of the linksof a sprocket chain. Each pair of o posite side bars are connected, atone end ot the link, by a tubular cross bar, usually formed separatefrom the side bars but united therewith so that the two side bars andconnecting tubular end bar operate as a unitary link structure. Theparticular form of the side bars, and the method of uniting them to thecross. bars have nothing to do with the present invention, the chainsillustratedin the drawings being of well known construction. It is usualto support upon each cross'bar 3'an anti-friction roller 4; The links ofthe chain are united with each other by pintles 5, which pass through,openings 6,' 6 in the ends of the side bars and longitudinally throughthe hollow connecting bars 3. The pintles are connected with the sidebars so as to turn therewith, as by forming a por# tion, 14, of thepintle near one end of vangular shape' to fit a corresponding opening, 6in the side bar, this arrangement insuring that the. wear incident tothel flexing of the chain in operation shall be between the pintles'and-the hollow connecting bars of the links and not between thepintlesand the side `bars. This, however, is a common featureoffconstruction in chainsv of the type to`which my inventionl isapplied.The pintles 5 'are representedas being formed each with-aheadf'at oneend and with "adiauiet-l ric perforation .8 near the 'opposite end. fInto each perforation there is inserted, .asv

the chain is constructed, a pin 10, of a'length l a little greaterfthanthediameter of the pino tle. The' pins v10 preferably'fit the apertures8 -closely so that'theyhave to. beforcibly driven into them, and whenare vnot liablesto slip out.

properly seated 'Io insure the'ir being maintained in place,

however, during the use of thel chain 'I em-v ploy. locking washers 12,which areperforated at 9, so they may be slipped over the pintles andlie close against the outer face of the side bars, between these and thepins 10. The washers whenin position have their opposite edge portionsturned up to form flanges 13, 13, that set opposite and close to theends of the pins 1 0. In manufacturing the washers.l2 one' of theflanges 13 will be. formed during the process of manufac-4 ture,l asrepresented in Fig. 3.

The method of assembling the chain is as follows: A pair of links areunited bypassing the pintle 'through the-registering openings of theside bars and cross bar until arrested by the head ot the pintle coming10 13, is preferably greater than the width of the side bar.

into engagement with the outer face of aside bar 2. rlhe washer 12 isthen slipped onto the end of the pintle opposite the head, the opening 9through the washer being shaped to lit the angular part of the pintle.'A pin 1() is then driven into the opening 8 through the pintle, untilarrested by the engagement of its end'with the flange 13 with which thewasherwas initially iormed.v Then the peripheral portion ofthe washeropposite to the flange 13 is turned up, by aha-miner in the hand of aworkman 'or by machinery provided for that purpose, thus confiningl thepin between the two flanges 13, wherey lit is securely held so long asthe chain is in use or until the flanges 13 areintentionally bent overand the washer flattened out, as

is done. when it may be necessary or desirable to remove the pin.

The width of the washer l12,` taken on av diametri@ line passing throughthe portions.

which when turned up constitute the llanges the vside bar against whichthe washer lies whenl in use, with the result that when the washer isflattened out .theportions thereo that constitute the flanges extendbeyond, both above and below, the opposite edges of This makes it easyfor a workman to reach with a hammer the portions ot' the washer to'bebent, whenever 'it may be necessary to turnup or straighten out theflanges 13.

The Washer 12 cooperates with thev pin 10 5to hold the side bars of thelink in position,

preventing them from spreading apart,

making a holding pintle connection that is equally eilicient to ariveted pintle, while at i .the same time permitting the pintle to beeasily removed. The pin 10 is very much stronger than is a Cotter pinthat could be used in the same perforation 8 as that in which the pinrests.' Y

In Figs. 5, 6and'7 I illustrate a form of washer that has someadvantages over the flat washer that has already been described.

As representedV-in'saidw views, -that partfo'f ,the washer that liesbetween the flanges 13 and on either side' of the pinlO is shaped ,to

form ridges 11 that are parallel with the'pin 10. These ridges'form aseat `or channel in which the pin lies, and they also add an ele servesas a. spring washer interposed between 'ment` of elasticity tothewasher, so that it u the pin and the adjacent outer face of the l sidebar of the link.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a form of'invention in which 'the in ,1Q isformed at one end with a head 15.` hen a pin of this form is used thewasher need be formed with but one flange 13, which is arrangedl to beupt-urned so as to lie opposite the headed end washers which have beendescribedtact; As there represented, the 'keeper for the pin 10 consistsof aplate 16 adapted to be'riveted or otherwise secured toa side bar ofthe chain near one end as represented at' 17. This plate is providedwith outstanding flanges 18 adapted to lie opposite to the ends of thepin and thus hold it in place when the plate is secured to the side bar.

The arrangement just described is entirely feasible and sat1sfactory`-so far as it serves as a keeper for the pin 10, but it does not givelthe lateral support'to the side bars which is furnished bythe washerform 'of my invention, and for that'reason is not as desirable as thelatter. i the invention4 the keeper isv atta'chedto the chain-by thepintlel' and pin 10 in one construction, and by the rivet or bolt '17 inIn both. forms of.

the othersoy that it is supported and heldl I with vits flanges or.projecting pin-retaining ortions in proper position to perform theirunctions.

IVVhat I claim is: s

The combination with a pair of sprocket chain links and a pin unitingthem of a cross bar extending through the pintle, the opposite ends ofthe pin extending beyond the circumference of the in tle, and a washerinterposed between the pin and the adjacent 'face of aside bar, thewasher being of thin metal and formed with ribs parallel with the pinand with edge portions bendable and adapted to vbe bentoutward to formflanges that lie o osite the ends of the in.

.I HN CLIFFORD RWIN.

